Description
Small native carnivorous marsupial, greyish-brown above and paler below. Long pointed head with bulging eyes and four pairs of small sharp incisor teeth. Ears are large, thin and crinkly with a notch in the margin. Tail is the same length as the body or shorter and is sparsely haired. Body length up to 14 cm. It weighs up 71 grams.
It is mostly nocturnal, coming out during the night to prey upon insects, spiders, centipedes and sometimes small reptiles and frogs. During the day it can be found in large communal nests in tree hollows, crevices or logs on the ground. Males live for approximately 11 months and have a short breeding cycle of about 2 weeks in winter, after which they die as a result of stress and exhaustion. Females give birth to undeveloped naked young that latch onto teats in the pouch for up to 50 days. The pouch is an open slit found on the belly.
Author credit: Sandy Ingleby / Australian Museum
Habitat
Woodland and forest habitats.
Food
Carnivore
Range
Northern and eastern Australia
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Species Description is from Museums Field Guide, Atlas of Living Australia at website at https://lists.ala.org.au Licensed under Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Mammalia | | Order: | Dasyuromorphia | | Family: | Dasyuridae | | Genus: | Antechinus | | Species: | stuartii | | Common Name: | Brown Antechinus |
Relatives in same Genus
Agile Antechinus (A. agilis)
Fawn Antechinus (A. bellus)
Yellow-footed Antechinus (A. flavipes)
Dusky Antechinus (A. swainsonii)
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